Pauline Devor was murdered by her daughter, Delores, in an incident of domestic strife gone out of hand. The offense occurred on June 14, 2007, in Washington County, wherein Delores, accompanied by her friend Monica Bautista, committed the act of murder.
Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Delores and Monica lured Pauline into a remote spot, where she was attacked and shot. Then, they tried to dispose of the body by burning it. The murder was a result of years of family friction. Delores had been an addict, and her personal life with her mother had been problematic.
Pauline Devor had married Bob Devor at the time of the crime, who was her second husband. Delores and Bob had developed a clandestine relationship, which added to the complexity of the situation. The murder case, which is also characterized by betrayal, money troubles, and family feuds, will be revisited in the Oxygen network's true crime series, Fatal Family Feuds.
The latest episode of Fatal Family Feuds, titled Hell on the Range (Season 2, Episode 7), aired on Sunday, March 30, 2025. This episode explores another intense case of a family feud escalating into tragedy. The series is available for streaming on platforms like Oxygen, Peacock Premium, fuboTV, and others.
The murder of Pauline Devor
As indicated by murderpedia.org, Delores and Monica orchestrated the murder following the filing of a case of financial fraud by Pauline Devor against her daughter. Delores had been using the credit cards belonging to Pauline without authorization, and when Pauline pressed charges, Delores orchestrated the revenge.
Bob Devor was aware of the tension but was nowhere around the scene of the crime. Delores and Monica used drugs on the evening of the killing before they implemented their scheme. They got Pauline Devor out of her house and then attacked her physically.
Delores went inside the house and grabbed a gun, which she used to shoot Pauline Devor. They incinerated the body using gasoline and threw away the rest of the evidence in a nearby river to conceal the crime.
Investigation and arrests
The case went cold for almost two years. Throughout this time, Bob and Delores maintained their relationship. As Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports, Delores went back to Pauline's residence and claimed her property, including her car and rent payments.
Nevertheless, investigators became suspicious as a result of inconsistencies in Bob's account and the absence of forced entry at the crime scene. A breakthrough came when Monica, arrested for a separate fraud case, confessed to the crime in exchange for immunity. She provided details about the murder, which led police to search the crime scene again.
According to murderpedia.org, they discovered human bone and teeth fragments were discovered, confirming Pauline Devor’s death. Delores was arrested soon after Monica's confession. She tried to commit suicide but was discovered in time and hospitalized. She was charged with capital murder upon recovery.
Bob was not charged initially due to insufficient evidence, but subsequent investigations implicated him in the cover-up.
Sentencing and aftermath
Delores eventually admitted to the crime, disclosing her affair with Bob and his awareness of the murder. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that she was sentenced to 30 years in prison for her involvement in the murder. Bob was found guilty of tampering with evidence and sentenced to 10 years in prison and a fine of $15,000.
This case will be discussed in greater detail in the next episode of Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen.